Canadian Youth Will Thrive Through Mentoring Relationships Thanks to Catalyst Funding

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[JUNE 3rd] This morning, Federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, Minister Hajdu, announced a multi-million-dollar investment to help young Canadians through expanded opportunities and enhanced formal relationships.

This catalyst funding of $6.3 million over three years sparks the creation of the Canadian Mentoring Partnership, a coalition of community-based mentoring organizations offering services across Canada. The Canadian Mentoring Partnership will ensure thousands of young people benefit from quality mentoring relationships thus helping them thrive in life, academics, and preparation for the workforce.

Existing Canadian mentoring programs such as those offered through Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies, youth centres, school authorities, and community organizations, will share their expertise in order to refine programs and where necessary create new and innovative mentoring opportunities for Canadian youth. There will be a particular emphasis on ensuring that those living in rural, remote, and isolated communities benefit from increased access to supports. The funding will ensure proven strategies that have accelerated mentoring via the Alberta Mentoring Partnership and Ontario Mentoring Coalition will be accessed across Canada.

“By helping young Canadians develop the skills and experience necessary to succeed in a rapidly evolving workforce, the Canadian Mentoring Partnership coalition truly represent the core ideas of the modernized Youth Employment and Skills Strategy. Our investment today will ensure they can continue to help the most vulnerable youth across Canada successfully transition from the classroom to the workforce and build successful careers.”
-The Honourable Patty Hajdu, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

“As the largest youth mentoring organization in Canada, Big Brothers Big Sisters is proud to have stewarded the creation of the Canadian Mentoring Partnership. We are eager to work with other youth-serving organizations to spark collective impact. Mentoring relationships are life-changing for young people in diverse communities across Canada, especially those facing barriers to opportunity. We know collaboration is critical to ensuring all young people have the mentorship they need to realize their full potential.”
-W. Matthew Chater, National President & CEO,
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada

“Since the creation of the Alberta Mentoring Partnership in 2002, government and community mentoring partners have amplified their collective impact, expanding and enhancing school and community-based mentoring programs, training over 10,000 mentors and helping initiate thousands of new mentoring relationships across the province. Building on proven strategies of the Alberta Mentoring Partnership, we are thrilled to scale this work to a national level, ensuring we can help young people thrive with a caring mentor in life, setting them up for career and educational success, across the country.”

– Liz O’Neill, Co-Chair, Alberta Mentoring Partnership

“Mentoring is such a powerful way to support young people in the changing and evolving world of work and as such strengthening mentoring in Canada has become a critical factor in the success of our youth today. The Ontario Mentoring Coalition is proud to be part of developing the Canadian Mentoring Partnership, a national mentoring initiative that will be instrumental in strengthening youth mentoring. The Ontario Mentoring Coalition represents over 80 mentoring organizations working together to support our youth through the power of mentoring.”

– Beth Malcolm, Co-Chair, Ontario Mentoring Coalition

How can you get involved?

Canadian Mentoring Partnership (CMP) welcomes and invites interest and partnership from mentoring service providers, youth-serving organizations and other supporters to become a part of this new mentoring movement across Canada.
CMP will be undertaking two major research projects in the spring/fall 2019 that will be focused on mapping the mentoring experiences of young people and capturing the landscape of mentoring programs/ services in Canada. A research advisory committee will be created over the summer of 2019 to lead the shaping and implementation of both of these projects.
As a result of this funding announcement, the CMP will be organizing and hosting annual National Mentoring Symposiums, dates and locations are TBC.

Anyone interested in learning more about these opportunities or joining the CMP movement should reach out to:

Matthew Chater, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, 1-800-263-9133 ext. 42

Liz O’Neill, Alberta Mentoring Partnership, 1-780-424-8181

Beth Malcolm, Ontario Mentoring Coalition, 1-866-293-4483 ext. 235